Shippers are Thankful For
by iamdkscully
Summary: In response to a post by fems on the GW Forum asking Shippers to post what they were thankful for this Shipsgiving...


In response to a post by **fems** on the GW Forum asking Shippers to post what they were thankful for this Shipsgiving...

**Love**

It was hard to pin point the moment when she realized she was in love. The lines that had been so clearly defined in the beginning had begun to blur after they'd been stranded in the Antarctic and had only gotten more fuzzy as time went on. Jolinar, Netu, force shields and possessions by alien entities, they'd both been through so much that the natural order of things always pushed them to seek solace in one another. Standing there in her white dress, she knew of no reason to argue.

**Honor**

Duty and honor had denied them so much for so long that it hardly seemed a worthy phrase to describe any aspect of their relationship. It has not been an honor to force themselves into conformity.

Honor and love had been enemies and now it would be love that won the ultimate battle, not honor, not duty.

But now, as she heard the words _love_, _honor_, and _cherish_ together with his name, she relished the opportunity to honor him with all of her being.

**Duty**

A job. That is what it means.

We have to do it. We have sworn an allegiance to our work that will not allow us to place our dedication elsewhere.

But, our hearts are insubordinate. They refuse to believe that duty beyond all else is even an option. So, we allow duty to believe with a false sense of security and pride that it rules over our hearts. But our eyes betray us and it is in those stolen moments that duty sometimes suspects that our allegiance is waning.

**Insane Chemistry**

The more they tried to fight it, the more times fate seemed to throw them into situations where they couldn't possibly ignore it. They say you have no control over love. It has its own agenda.

More often than not, this just left her confused.

Give her a trajectory to establish for a rogue asteroid or ask her to make the calculations necessary to determine how best to blow up a sun but don't ask her to try to explain their insane chemistry.

**Sidearms**

No giggling is a very good rule to establish when you're sharing a bed but sometimes he just couldn't help but think back to those cold, cold days alone in the dark when it seemed that rescue would not come and thoughts of his sidearm had made her giggle and it was a sound that had kept his heart beating.

**Jello**

Physical injuries were the easiest to bear. They were relatively easy to fix. Band-aids, stitches, gauze, tape, a cast, a sling, all assisted your body in knitting the flesh back together and healing the wounds. But there were some things he knew could not be fixed so easily.

Glancing up from her laptop as he knocked and catching his warm brown eyes with her own, for a moment she broke. He reached for her cheek, wiped away an errant tear, and handing her the blue dessert, he sat elbow-to-elbow as she slowly ate. He knew it couldn't fix things, that a harsh reality was staring them all in the face, but this moment was theirs and sometimes, Jello was the only remedy.

**Angst**

My heart starts to break as I realize that I will not be the only one who dies today. Though I beg him to go, he screams and fights even harder to try and break down the invisible barrier keeping us apart. I _feel_ the panic I can see so clearly in his wild eyes and it makes my breath hitch as it catches in my throat and I fight the tears burning behind my eyes. I cannot speak, but locked in his gaze I find there is no need for words. Nothing spoken yet everything said.

**Sizzling UST**

She awoke covered in sweat and furiously blushing. She could hear him breathing steadily beside her, close enough to feel his body heat but far enough away that she could just barely reach him with a outstretched hand.

They both knew that they really shouldn't be sharing a tent but neither could bring themselves to admit it because this was the one place they could still let it seem otherwise. Here they could soothe each other's nightmares or hold each other when things were too intense to deal with. Here they could be one step closer to who they needed to be. Here they could be together.

But, nights like tonight were but a reminder that blurry lines could easily be crossed. Remnants of her dream swirled through her thoughts. Her body ached to reach out to him and as if he too could feel that aching need, she heard his breathing change and he turned to face her in the darkness. Their eyes locked as their hands betrayed them, slowly reaching toward one another until just barely touching they lay that much closer and then letting their fingers intertwine, they both watched the line disappear altogether.

**Doohickies**

There was something to be said for the ability of some strange piece of alien tech to soothe her mind and calm her senses. She didn't know why her brain and body worked this way but it was lucky for them all that it did. Her ability to dismantle, reinvent, rewire, re-power, or just plain make things work had saved their butts on more than one occasion.

Standing in the doorway, he watched her in her lab, blonde head bent over the latest doohickey brought back from P4C-something, something, something and marveled at the intensity with which she worked.

She felt him there before she saw him and she forced herself not to look up, not yet. There was something in the way he was studying her that she found comforting. Maybe it wasn't the doohickey in front of her that calmed and soothed her at all. Maybe it was knowing that the longer she focused on the tech, the more likely he would come to find her.

He saw the grin spread across her lips and knew that she knew he was there. Finally, looking up from the table she caught his eyes and her work was forgotten.

**Fishing**

He could scarcely believe they were lying here. The reality had far out-shined the fantasy. He had never believed it was possible to let someone near his heart again after losing Charlie and then Sara and he'd fought the emotions this woman had brought churning to the surface for so many years. But now there was no denying the way they both felt and lying in the early morning light of his cabin as she smiled up at him he grinned back thinking just how happy he was that she'd finally decided to go fishing.

**Technobabble**

She saw his eyes start to gloss over as she continued briefing the team on the properties of the electromagnetic fields of the next planet they were scheduled to visit. Even Daniel and Teal'c's attention seemed to be wavering as she spoke. She expected her team to cut her some slack. She was good at this job. She'd blown up a sun, made an asteroid pass through the planet, stopped a black hole from devouring them, even modified ancient tech to hide people and inhibit the abilities of the priors. They all realized that she'd stopped talking and looked up at her expectantly. "This is what I do ya know," she said unapologetically.

He grinned at her as he said "Yeah, we know. We may phase out a bit sometimes, Carter, but we get it."

She gave him a small smile.

"And sometimes," he stood and whispered in her ear,"I'm distracted by how you make technobabble sound so damn hot!"

**Always**

She'd known without him saying the word that no matter what happened he'd be there. They'd rescued each other's bodies and minds on more than one occasion and now they were able to rescue their hearts. When the weight of the world threatened to pummel her into the ground or the planet's future lay in her hands alone or she sits grieving for her father who she thought would live forever, she doesn't need him to say it. The one thing in the entire universe that she is certain of is that he will love her, always.

**Cake**

He didn't want to talk, not even to her. Especially to her. Right now there was part of him that couldn't help but blame her for all that he'd gone through. She'd known that he couldn't say no when she begged him with those beautiful blue eyes to take what the Tok'ra were offering to save his life. He would rather have died, but she'd begged him and the thought of leaving her behind to blame herself for not trying hard enough to convince him to try was too much for him to bear. So now she stood by his bedside only long enough to place the plate on his tray. Guilt kept her from any more than that. But when she turned to leave, he grabbed her wrist pulling her back towards the chair by his side. Once she'd sat, he accepted her peace offering and took a bite then handed her the fork.

**C'mere**

She stood staring at herself in the mirror. She longed to be dressed in her BDUs gearing up for a week-long trek through the mountains off world instead of putting on her crisp, clean dress blues trying to keep herself together enough to speak at her father's funeral.

She hadn't heard him, but tears formed in her eyes once again as she saw Jack's reflection as he stood in the doorway behind her.

At least she wouldn't be alone.

She needed him today. She needed him so much that she wasn't afraid to let anyone see it. His strength was holding her together. There was no way she could pretend, no way to get around their feelings, without him she would not be able to make it through this day.

"I don't think I can do this, Sir." Her voice hitched as she turned to look at him. "I can't…how am I going to do this?" She couldn't stop the tears again. God, she felt like all she'd done these last few weeks is cry. Tears for Daniel. Tears for herself. Tears for Jack. Tears for what she'd done to Pete. Tears of joy over the fleeting thought of freedom to finally make the _right_ decision. Frightened tears, sad tears, and now tears of desperation and devastation.

"C'mere."

It was all he had to say to send her into his arms where she clung to him for dear life.

(excerpt from my WIP _My Wonderland_)

**Time Loops**

The first kiss was all Daniel's fault. He'd said there'd be no consequences. He hadn't expected her to kiss him back but he'd dipped her and she'd threaded her hand up into his hair and kissed him right back!

So, here he was trying to remember just how many times he'd kissed her. He'd have to stop eventually. It really wasn't fair that he had this little piece of confirmation and that she would never remember.

One more couldn't hurt, right?

"What?"

"Nothin'"

**Flying Sparks**

**WARNING!** **Spoiler for the book **_**Moebius **__**Squared**_**.**

It hardly seemed fair to think that if one decision in her life hadn't been made, things would be so very different. She was proud of all she had accomplished but she'd be lying to herself if she didn't admit that there was a piece of her that was full of regret and longing.

Seeing that other Sam with her Jack and their daughter made that reality sting just a little more. So when they returned to their own time, she was compelled to act in a way she wouldn't have considered before being given the chance to see her other life. A life that had begun literally with flying sparks.

He was standing on the ramp waiting for them when they came through the gate and her decision was made. A silence fell over the gateroom as she kissed him. They were suddenly the only two people in the room and his surprise was short-lived as she pressed against him. All he knew in that moment was her.

(set after the events in _Moebius_ _Squared _so no rule breaking...not really)

**Arm Touching**

It had become such an unconscious act that they seldom realized they were doing it. A touch across the briefing room table or as she handed him a report was as natural to them as breathing. It was a small reassurance that the other was there and a reminder of lay beneath the surface.

**Hugs**

In times of great distress they cling to one another knowing that for just one moment the world allows them the comfort of the other's arms, an anchor in this terrible storm that forces them to bend their wills and otherwise deny their hearts.

**Stargate**

They stand at the base of the ramp geared up and waiting for the dialing sequence to complete. Despite the horrors, heartache, and pain they've all experienced, their wonder at this ancient device never waivers nor does their amazement at being brought together because of it.

**Alien Viruses**

Sometimes he closes his locker with the hope that she'll be there still wearing that cute little tank top number staring him down with her eyes full of lust. Other times he remembers the feel of her hand in his comforting him while he was pinned to the gate room wall. And when he's at his lowest after a mission that has gone balls up, he almost wishes for another outbreak and with it the opportunity to lose themselves in each other's arms.

**Hallucinations**

She slowly opened her eyes through a drug-induced fog. Her head still throbbed mercilessly as she struggled to focus on the form sitting on the bed next to her. She couldn't stop his name from escaping her lips.

"Jack?"

"Excuse me?" He somehow managed to sound both relieved and surprised at hearing her say his name.

In that instant, she was overwhelmed by sadness as she suddenly felt no roots in reality for the hallucinations she'd experienced and corrected her unconscious blunder.

"Sorry, _Sir_."

**Alternate Universes**

This must be some great cosmic conspiracy. Because here in this universe, this reality, they are stuck trying to keep their feelings at bay hoping that one day they might get their chance. But out there, they've seen themselves already married or engaged or somehow involved and building a life, together. And they are unsure of whether the universe is giving them a sign of encouragement or laughing at their pain.

**Alternate Timelines**

**Spoiler for **_**Continuum**_

There was something about that woman that he just couldn't place. He knew he was supposed to have known her already but it was quite obvious that she was not the same Samantha Carter that he remembered. He knows he was harsh with her, well, with them all really, but he was starting to regret his actions the longer he thought about her. Those beautiful eyes had been so full of hope when he met them on the ice and then nothing but sadness permeated the air as she begged him to believe them, to believe her.

When he walked out the door she was once again overwhelmed by the loss of him. They were supposed to be on their honeymoon, not separated by space and time and death. Daniel grabbed her hand and squeezed it gently as she bit back her bitter tears.

**Time Travel**

She never imagined she'd experience something like this. Despite the fact that they could be stuck if this plan didn't work, she found herself smiling as she sat in the back of the bus and let Jenny paint her fingernails.

She's not sure why she's so relaxed here. Maybe its the _groovy_ clothes or the laid back company or just the fact that she can't imagine being on a road trip like this with anyone other than Daniel, Teal'c, and the Colonel. She grinned at the thought of him in his leather jacket and jeans and looked up to see him smiling back at her over his sunglasses. She could instantly feel herself blushing as her stomach flipped in response.

Yeah, she though grinning at him, I think I could like it here.

**Respect**

She understands Daniel's frustration with Jack and with her for her seemingly blind obedience of his orders. But the dynamic between her and the Colonel had nothing to do with obedience. They had a deep seeded trust that she couldn't put into words. Just as he trusted her to pull an idea out of thin air when they needed one most, she trusted him to make the tough decisions that came with his position of leadership.

Through the horror of standing on the ramp listening to the sound of what they knew to be a human being dying against the iris, a human being on whom he'd chosen to close the door, she was shocked and appalled at what he had done, but he never lost her respect.

**Unending Devotion**

Both had been trapped off-world, both had been possessed by alien entities, viruses, and lifeforms. They'd taken "no one gets left behind" to the extreme. But no matter the situation or how dire the consequences, their unwavering and unending devotion to one another was a universal constant.

**Forever and Always**

On different planets or flying between stars on a journey between space and time, they are guided by hearts alight with an unspoken passion that cannot be denied as it rules over their thoughts, their actions, and their senses, forever and always.

**A Great Big Honkin' Kiss**

He knew it was a cop out but just like the way he'd cornered her under the mistletoe at Janet's Christmas party, he stood now waiting for just the right moment. He'd asked her to dance a couple of hours ago and she hadn't left his side since. The band had started to play some slow jazz that was perfect for couples wanted to snuggle up on the dance floor and they were no exception. He pulled her close in her pale blue silk dress that hugged all the right places and held her tight against his chest. He was overwhelmed by the effect she had on his senses. Suddenly, the countdown began...

10...he looked into her swirling blue eyes and reveled in the smile he found there.

9...he slid an errant lock of her shining blonde hair back behind her ear.

8...he let the same hand linger as his finger trailed down her neck on its way to her shoulder.

7...one hand snaked around her back as both of hers slid up his chest.

6...the other hand found its way to the back of her neck, intertwining with her hair.

5...he licked his lips and watched as she mirrored the action.

4...their bodies pushed themselves against one another in anticipation.

3...their eyes locked.

2...they were close enough to feel the warmth of their breathe as it mingled together between their lips.

1...the entire room erupted in cheering and applause as their lips touched, gently at first and then crashing together with a force that rivaled the waves in the ocean.

Time lost all meaning as they stood caught up in themselves. Their need for air betraying them, they parted only slightly as he pulled her close and whispered in her ear.

"Happy New Year Mrs. O'Neill."

"Happy New Year, Jack."

**Having Each Other's Backs**

When the "enemy" is a small bundle of cuteness with her mommy's eyes and her daddy's grin who has you both wrapped around her tiny little finger, you find out just how important it is to have each other's backs.

**The Cutest Insubordination**

"Sir!"

"Carter?"

"You can't do that, Sir!"

"Yes, I can. I'm in charge."

"Whatever...Sir."

(Never mess with the last piece of pumpkin pie.)


End file.
